Chapter 1
803 Words
There was one week left until prom, and the class group chat had been blowing up from morning till night.
The class belle, Serene Warren, even called me directly.
"Lindsay," she said brightly, "doesn't your mom collect antique clothing? We all want to take some memorable photos at prom. How about this? I'll pay you 300 bucks to borrow those Chanel evening gowns from the 1930s for one night. We've been classmates for four years. We're giving your family's old dresses a chance to shine again. I'd say we're doing you a favor."
Those antique gowns had been passed down from my mother's grandmother.
Every single sequin had been sewn on by hand.
They were genuine museum quality pieces.
The last time the insurance company came to appraise them, the report clearly listed their value at 600,000 dollars.
Yet she had the nerve to offer 300 bucks.
That wasn't even enough to cover a single day's preservation fees.
I held my phone and just froze for two seconds.
"Serene," I asked slowly, "how much did you just offer?"
She answered without missing a beat. "300. Come on, we're practically sisters. Besides, your mom isn't hurting for money. And think about it. Those dresses would get so much exposure. When your mom holds her private exhibition next year, all that buzz will already be there."
Buzz?
If those gowns got passed around and abused by that crowd for one night, my mom would probably wake up in the middle of the night so mad she'd break the bed.
I didn't bother beating around the bush.
"The gowns aren't for loan. Our antique dresses are for looking, not wearing. If you think 300 bucks can buy you a dress, go hit a flea market and pick one out."
......
Serene paused for a moment, then her tone instantly turned cold.
"Lindsay, what exactly do you mean? I was kindly helping your family get more exposure, and now you're throwing shade at me? The girls have been dying to look their best at graduation prom. I was helping everyone rent your dresses. If you don't want to lend them out, fine, but why are you insulting me by telling me to buy cheap knockoffs?"
I swallowed the curse that was already on the tip of my tongue.
"If you look down on cheap dresses, then buy something better."
She let out a cold laugh from the other end of the phone.
"Fine. You may act tough now, but when everyone actually shows up at your door tomorrow, your mom won't really kick all of us out, will she?"
Less than half a minute after the call ended, a new announcement popped up in the prom planning group.
Serene: Chanel collector's gowns from the 1930s. 300 dollars per night. Lindsay Porter's mother is kindly renting them out at a discount. One dress per person. Anyone interested, message me. We'll all go over tomorrow morning for fittings.
The group chat instantly exploded.
A: OMG, the dress that was featured in a magazine? It looked stunning when Marilyn wore something similar back then!
B: 300 dollars? Seriously? The care fee alone for an antique gown costs more than that.
C: Serene is amazing. She actually pulled this off. No wonder she's the class belle.
In less than ten minutes, nearly fifty people had signed up.
Some people had even already listed their accessory plans.
Pearl earrings, a vintage-style handbag, and a real silk shawl to complete the look.
I stared at the screen, feeling the anger in my chest about to boil over.
Serene was still there pretending to be generous: Don't worry, everyone. Lindsay and I are very close. Her mom's exhibition hall is on the Upper East Side. It's a real private collection. Even celebrities borrow outfits from there for magazine covers. Just send me 300 dollars each first. Consider it a reservation fee.
Payment notifications started popping up one after another.
Ding after ding.
I watched as she collected money so quickly that she could barely keep up.
I was so angry that I actually laughed.
300 dollars for a museum-level couture gown.
She really had the guts to say it.
Also, she really had the nerve to take their money.
I immediately sent a message into the group.
Lindsay: There is no such thing as a 300-dollar rental. My family's antique gowns are only for exhibition. They are not available for any private use. Don't believe false information.
The group went silent for a few seconds.
Serene: Lindsay, don't ruin the mood. Everyone already paid. If you deny it now, aren't you just making me look bad in front of everyone?
I rolled my eyes and replied.
Lindsay: I never agreed to this from the beginning. Whoever collected the money is responsible for this deal.
- Writer
